Are you a cheese and crackers kind of person? What do you think about the gourmet crackers on the market? They vary with the type of fruits, nuts and seeds in them but ultimately they are a crispy treat to pair with some wonderful cheese. My only beef with them is that they are expensive.

So I got to thinking that I could make my own and save money. I could even make some crackers as a lovely gift for someone. After all it is not all that long until Christmas!!!

No, not that kind of cracker!!!!

So I experimented with a recipe, adapted it to use in my Thermomix and added some Essential Oils.  I have to say I am very pleased with the outcome. Not only did I make lots and lots of crackers for very little cost, I realised that it is easy to vary the ingredients and make a range of flavoured crackers with very little effort. What you actually make is a cake in a loaf pan or lots of small loaf pans and then you cut the cooked cake into slices and bake them in the oven until crisp.

What you will need: 

2 cups of flour ( it is best to use bread flour as it will make a more solid loaf)

2 teaspoons of bicarbonate of soda

1 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup honey

1 tablespoon of golden syrup, treacle or molasses

2 cups of soured milk ( sour the milk by adding 2 teaspoons of white vinegar and mixing it in to the milk)

1 cup dried fruit

1 1/2 cups  mixed nuts and seeds (I used sunflower seeds, pepitas, chia seeds, almonds and unsalted mixed nuts. If you have a Thermomix, blitz the nuts on Turbo for 1-2 seconds. You can do the same with a food processor. Making the nuts smaller will make for easier slicing.)

Flavourings: Mixed herbs and spices – use your imagination – I used two sprigs of fresh rosemary

Essential Oils: I used Rosemary, Cinnamon Bark and Ginger Oils. (2 drops of each)

Method:

Prepare the loaf tins – I lined the bottom with baking paper and greased the sides with olive oil. I used 5 mini loaf tins for this recipe. 

Combine the flour, bicarb, sugar, golden syrup, honey and soured milk. (You can do this in a big bowl or mix in the Thermomix, Reverse Speed 4 for 30 seconds.

Add in the fruit, nuts and oils and mix again, as above. 

Pour the mixture into the loaf tins, making sure they are about 3/4 full. 

Bake at 160 C for approximately 60 minutes. Make sure the loaves are cooked all the way through. 

Cool the loaves – they should be cool after about 2 hours. 

Place in the freezer for about 1 1/2 hours or until cold but not frozen. 

Slice thinly and spread on baking paper on a large tray. 

Bake at 150 C for 25 minutes, turning each cracker over after 15 minutes. 

After 25-30 minutes, remove the trays from the oven. Leave the crackers on the hot trays for approximately 5 minutes then place on a rack to cool. Store in an airtight container. 

Notes:

• If you cook the slices until they feel really hard you will end up with crackers that will break your teeth. The last bit of the cooking process takes place on the hot trays once you have removed them from the oven.
• I sliced all 5 loaves but only baked the slices from 2 loaves. I am storing the uncooked slices in the freezer for later when I need them. I have enough for a few weeks.
• If you wish to intensify the flavour of the Essential Oils, add a drop of Essential Oil to the storage container.
• If you are making them for a gift and want to package them nicely, make sure they are stored in an airtight container if you are keeping them a while before gifting them.  Cellophane wrap or bags are not airtight and the crackers will easily pick up moisture if left out on the bench in this wrap or bags.

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Until next time,

 

 

Gillian (and Andrew)